Senior Portraits at Belmont in downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia

Spencer was such a joy to photograph! As with all our seniors, we communicate and coordinate outfit ideas in advance to better plan our location backgrounds. Here are some tips I share with my clients: Choose at least some solids, as we want the focus to be on the face, and busy patterns can be a distraction. That is not to say that I don’t want any fun, colorful, bold pieces, because I definitely want to capture my subject’s personality, so a variety is key. Texture photographs very well, and as you can see, Spencer incorporated texture in her solid colored shirts, as well as the cardigan. Cardigan’s are a great ad-on to give a slightly different look, or even a different season appearance. Denim and leather photograph nicely, and again are great pieces to use as ad-ons. I love how Spencer chose a simple, elegant pearl necklace with her green shirt and cardigan, but then added a bold, colorful, chunky teal necklace to give her black and white striped dress a pop of color and sass! We also used the super cute, chunky teal necklace with her solid coral colored shirt, which just so happened to match our beautiful backdrop at the stunning Gari Melcher’s home, also known as Belmont in the beautiful downtown area of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Attention to detail will go a long way for a successful outcome. Hair, make-up, nails, shoes, dressing in layers (camisoles are key!), proper rest, hydration, tan-lines, all important details. I do photograph a variety of poses, so having a neutral, non-chipped polish is important for those close-ups, and having shoes (and hopefully boots!) that pair well with all outfits, are key wardrobe factors. Speaking of boots, did you see how awesome Spencer’s American Flag Western boots are? I just so happen to have a similar pair! This also adds variety to the look and feel of the session. Spencer paired a solid colored dress with a bit of texture, added a cute denim jacket, and achieved a total different look. I also encourage my seniors to pack their Cap & Gown if possible, for some fun, relaxed pictures in addition to the formal graduation picture. Thank you for taking the time to read Spencer’s blog post, I hope you found my wardrobe tips to be informative! I am now accepting applications for Class of 2018 High School Senior Reps in the Northern Virginia area, including Stafford, Fredericksburg, Woodbridge, Dumfries, and beyond!